Larry Banks

• Genres: Rhythm & Blues
• Instrument: Producer, Saxophone

Biography

Larry Banks was a New York-born baritone/bass singer (and songwriter) who helped organize and lead the Four Fellows, an R&B quartet that also featured Davey Jones (first tenor), Jim McGowan (second tenor), and Teddy Williams (bass), in 1954. They survived well enough, even making some television appearances, and scored a hit with "Soldier Boy," authored by Jones. By the early 1960's, Banks had begun to concentrate on the career of his wife Toni -- working as Bessie Banks -- and provided her with a song, "Go Now" and got her a contract with Leiber & Stoller's Tiger Records, which was later folded into their bigger Red Bird/Blue Cat label combination. The record was never as big as it should have been, despite Larry Banks' excellent production, which included a beautiful horn accompaniment; rather, the song was picked up by the Moody Blues and turned into a British Invasion hit for the Birmingham, England-based quintet. Larry Banks later returned to singing and leading his own group, and was a revered presence in the R&B vocal world until his death in the early 1990's. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide